Hazelpaw's Adventure
by WolfLover999
Summary: Yes, the sequel to Skykit's journey is finally here! I might not get many chapters up very fast, so don't expect them to be updated too quickly. T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Paw

Dust clouded around brambles and glittering blue eyes poked through the dull colour. White patches like snow or clouds were seen through the dust and a small cat leaped through the dull-coloured cloud. She skidded around a clump of bramble and tumbled over and over and until a voice yowled into her ears. _"Hazelkit!" _

A large, grey rock hung on the path and Hazelkit abruptly stopped with a grunt. A brown cat with a white underbelly stood on what seemed like the sky and her mouth was curved into a smile. Hazelkit's body flung onto the ground and she scrambled onto her tummy. At first the world spun around her; as it stilled, she saw Skypath looking down at her. "Yes?" she asked innocently. "I just groomed you!" hissed the queen.

"So … ?" Hazelkit mewed, scuffling her paws on the ground. A orange-and-black butterfly fluttered across her eyesight and Hazelkit crouched. She pounced, but flopped onto her belly with another grunt as Skypath grabbed her tail. She let it go and Hazelkit turned and sat down.

"_So, _you won't look nice for your ceremony!" hissed Skypath. "Fox dung!" Hazelkit whispered under her breath, scraping the ground satisfyingly with her unsheathed claws.

"Let all cats old enough to-" Hazelkit bounded out of the nursery. She looked around. Cats were gathering. She squealed ad raced through the group to skid to a halt in front of the Highledge. Lightningstar stood on the top.

"Hazelkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed."

_Titus should be with me, _thought Hazelkit. She saw the same statement in the Clan's eyes, too. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name" _My warrior name! I can't wait! _"you will be known as Hazelpaw." _Hazelpaw! Hazelpaw! _Hazelpaw chanted in her mind.

"Your mentor will be Rosefern." Lightningstar nodded towards the light ginger she-cat. "I hope Rosefern will pass down all she knows to you." Hazelpaw bounced.

She hardly heard anything else Lightningstar said. Felt a wet nose touched hers and fur brush her muzzle. She pushed her head up a little bit and the Clan chanted her name.

"Hazelpaw! Hazelpaw!"

_Hazelpaw! _Hazelpaw thought. But then all at once, it seemed, everything stopped. Hazelkit fell onto her belly. "Ouch!" she heard a _mrrow _of laughter from the cave that formed the apprentices' den.

She looked up and saw Stonepaw and Birchpaw laughing hardly at her.

She bounced to her paws but slipped on a patch of mud created yesterday when it had rained. The two apprentices laughed harder and harder until their breath came in jagged gasps.

Hazelpaw growled and zipped past her new denamtes and they onto their bellies but quickly got back to their feet without one shuffle or scramble.

Hazelpaw faced them, teeth bared and back arched. "Relax, mouse-brain!" Hissed Birchpaw. He padded over to Hazelpaw, his body slightly curved as he faced the new apprentice. Then, planting his forepaws on the ground, Birchpaw pounced and forcibly hit Hazelpaw hard with his strong head and paws. Hazelpaw fell onto her side and Birchpaw lashed his tail on her muzzle.

Hazelpaw whimpered and curled into herself, shrinking into the rocky floor.

"Hazelpaw! Come on!" That was Rosefern. Hazelpaw jumped to her paws and ran. Birchpaw's tail whipped her flank as she fled, and pain soared through her. Hazelpaw only just stopped herself from crashing into Rosefern.

"You seem to be excited," The light ginger she-cat commented, and turned. "Follow me." She bounded off, and Hazelpaw followed. "So, what are we doing?" asked Hazelpaw. Rosefern meowed, "Going through the territory" but didn't stop walking. Ripping her mind off of the two fox-hearted bullies back at camp, Hazelpaw brightened up.

After a while, Rosefern stopped and Hazelpaw crashed into her. She skidded backwards and shook her head. Then she got to her paws again and followed Rosefern's gaze up an amazingly tall oak tree where faint chattering erupted.

"This is the Sky Oak," meowed the light ginger she-cat, and Hazelpaw's brown-and-white body almost quivered in feeling so small.

"Squirrels like to nest here, and there used to be a rabbit burrow over there until Weedclaw – an apprentice back then – kicked dirt over it by accident." Rosefern nodded at a small, half-filled hole in the roots of the Sky Oak. "Whoa! Can I hunt something?" Hazelpaw mewed. Rosefern purred in amusement. "Yes. This is the hunter's crouch." She ducked down, her belly fur brushing the ground. She crept forward, one paw after the other. Hazelpaw's bright blue eyes were wide with admiration.

Then Rosefern sat up and turned to face the brown-and-white apprentice. "Okay, your turn. Over there," Rosefern's voice was barely more then a whisper, and she pointed with her towards a grey squirrel sitting up near the roots of the Sky Oak, content on cracking open a small nut.

Hazelpaw nodded and crouched down. She let herself relax as she stalked forward slowly.

Suddenly the squirrel looked up. Hazelpaw froze. But then it turned back to its food and Hazelpaw almost sighed with relief 0 when she remembered that that would alert the squirrel. She stepped forward quietly, and then pounced. She was a whisker-length away from the squirrel when it fled up the tree.

Hazelpaw leaped into the air on only just pulled the prey down from the tree, grabbing its tail with her teeth. Then she slipped her paw onto its fluffy, grey tail and nipped its spine. It immediately fell limp.

She turned to Rosefern.

"Clumsy, but good for a first-timer." meowed Hazelpaw's mentor. Hazelpaw's blue eyes glistened. "Now, let's go." Rosefern hadn't even got to "go" before Hazelpaw was bounding off and over a hill. Rosefern stood and rolled her eyes.

Embarrassed, Hazelpaw popped her head over the hill's top again. "Uh … heh heh … Where' the next landmark?" she mewed. Rosefern shook her head slightly but padded over and told Hazelpaw to follow. They padded past the Sky Oak when Rosefern twisted her body towards it. Hazelpaw followed her mentor's gaze and saw her catch from before. "Oh!" The brown-and-white cat backed away, picked up her squirrel, and bounded after her mentor.

A thrush warbled somewhere away, but the sound sounded higher then normal, which meant it was in a tree, and Hazelpaw didn't know how to climb yet, and was uncertain about the treetops – besides, she didn't know how to catch birds and it sounded too far off.

Soon they came to a sandy clearing. "This is the clearing, where we will learn battle moves." Rosefern meowed. Hazelpaw looked around before following her mentor into the trees.

They padded through the bushes and sudden;y a dove flew from a patch of ferns Hazelpaw had jumped into. "Hazelpaw, you have to be more alert if you want to hunt!" Rosefern scolded. Hazelpaw hung her head. "Sorry, Rosefern." she meowed. Rosefern sighed and padded on. Only her drooping tail showing her shame, Hazelpaw followed. Then a glistening collection of clear, glittering blue water peeked through the trees.

Hazelpaw gasped. "The lake!" she ran on ahead. Breeze ruffled her fur and her gaze blurred. "Hazelpaw, _wait!" _the calls of her mentor where the only things Hazelpaw heard, other then the lapping waves on the shore of the lake.

Finally, Hazelpaw skidded into the muddy shore of the lake where it lapped at her leg fur. "Wow!" Hazelpaw whispered.

"Hazelpaw!" Rosefern burst through the bushes and barred her way between Hazelpaw.

"_Don't _ever do that again!" Hissed Rosefern. Hazelpaw nodded and both cats turned to pad back into the trees. Rosefern suddenly picked up the pace and Hazelpaw followed, quicker too. Soon they were racing through the trees and burst through some bushes into a clearing. Rosefern carefully crept into it and Hazelpaw asked her why she was so worried. "Well, ShadowClan used to have this as their territory and Twolegs come here at greenleaf," replied Rosefern.

"Really?" Hazelpaw hissed, her fur bristling. "I don't like this place at all!"

"Don't worry. We'll go." With that, Rosefern plunged away and Hazelpaw followed quickly. The two cats ran through the undergrowth and then an acrid, foul scent hit Hazelpaw's scent glands. "What's that?" she hissed, slowing the pace. Rosefern slowed too. "The old Thunderpath. We'll take a quick peek and then leave." Rosefern meowed and the cats poked through the brambles. A hard, rough, black surface spread along the ground, cutting off the grass and surrounded by blue thing-a-ma-bobs. Suddenly a glittering light blue creature with round, black paws sped past and buffeted dust and grass up in the air.

"Ick! Smells horrible!" Hazelpaw hissed, taking a step back. "Alright, let's go." Rosefern mewed and turned away Hazelpaw followed and they padded back to camp. The sun was low by the time they padded through the gorse tunnel again.

Hazelpaw had forgotten about the brutes that shared her den. She padded inside and curled into her nest, tail tucked over her nose. Then sharp teeth pricked her back and she sprung to her paws. She turned to the dark grey cat in front of her and jumped, hind legs planted on the ground, and pushed Stonepaw's chest and, with every scrap of strength in her body, pushed him to the hard cave floor.

In an instant Birchpaw was on my paws and the slight prick of claws touched my fur. I collapsed to the ground and Birchpaw bitterly hissed in my ear, "We're doing apprentice jobs, so you are too!"

I struggled but that only planted his paws firmer onto my pelt. Stonepaw had got to his paws. He pushed his muzzle into my face. "You do our jobs with us, and we'll let you nap." Stonepaw hissed. Birchpaw softened his grip and I nodded.

"Then first you'll pick the dirt out of the dirtplace with Birchpaw, and after that you'll help me with the elders' ticks." As Stonepaw spoke, Birchpaw jumped off my back and we raced into the dirtplace tunnel. With large, green leaves we dug out the disgusting stuff.

What seemed like a moon later, Birchpaw padded to his nest in the apprentices' den and curled up, as Hazelpaw helped Stonepaw with the elders' ticks – using mouse bile, of course.

Then the two apprentices washed there paws in the lake shore. They padded back to camp and curled up.

Dawn broke and thick clouds covered the sky. Hazelpaw blinked open her eyes. She almost bristled at her sleeping denmates, but managed to calm down. She yawned but sat up in her nest.

Hazelpaw lifted a paw and licked it. She spread her brown-and-white tail out in front of her and began grooming that. Suddenly Crowpelt's voice sounded; "Stonepaw! We're training!" it hissed. Stonepaw shot out of the den as if he was never asleep. Birchpaw peacefully lifted his head.

He blinked and glanced around. "Ah, Hazelpaw," he growled. "Go and get moss for the elders."

Hazelpaw sighed, but, although she wasn't even intending on rejecting, Birchpaw hissed before she could reply, "I'll be watching you go!" and she sped out of the den.

Sure enough, as Hazelpaw started to exit the thorn tunnel, Birchpaw sat a tail-length away.

Suddenly a voice sounded. "Birchpaw? Are you two going out for moss for the elders?" And, surprise surprise, it was Darkclaw. Birchpaw's mentor.

Hazelpaw suppressed a chuckle as the conversation went on. "Oh … uh … yeah. Yes, um, of course." Birchpaw stammered. Darkclaw replied, "Aren't you going with her?" Birchpaw's frustrated flooded Hazelpaw's senses. "Yes! I'm going right now." In a moment, Birchpaw's dusty brown fur and dark green eyes were next to Hazelpaw's.

Hazelpaw purred in amusement. "Ha! The `greatBirchpaw_' _ordered to do dumb apprentice jobs by his mentor and _obeying? _Now _that's _a first!" Birchpaw bristled and snarled. His hairs were like thorns pricking Hazelpaw's skin and he hissed, "Shut up, crow-food! I have to do this." The tom whipped Hazelpaw's side his his sharp, long tail before pelting past her and bursting into the trees. Hazelpaw winced, but followed.

Soon the two came to the Sky Oak and began to sniff around for moss. By the time they got back, They had gathered a large ball of moss – it was the slightest bit damp, but the elders didn't mind. As Hazelpaw padded out towards her den, Rosefern padded up to her and told her they'd be training.

Hazelpaw nodded and they bounded out of camp. When they got to the clearing, Rosefern told Hazelpaw about their lesson. "Okay, first, let's see what you know already. Let's pretend you're in a battle and I'm a ShadowClan warrior." Hazelpaw nodded and ducked into a crouch.

She pounced, but Rosefern sidestepped and Hazelpaw plunked onto the ground. "How did you know where I was going to pounce?" asked Hazelpaw in awe.

"Your eyes give it away," Rosefern replied. "Okay, try again." she meowed when Hazelpaw was in position. Hazelpaw fixed her eyes on Rosefern's legs. She jumped low, and Rosefern sprung into the air, but just as she did, Hazelpaw struck out with her hind legs and jumped onto her mentor. They plunged down, but Rosefern softened Hazelpaw's fall.

Hazelpaw jumped off as Rosefern began to roll around and she purred approvingly. "Good work. Now, let's get back. I think we've done enough for today." Hazelpaw nodded and the two cats padded back through the forest.

Rustles surrounded Hazelpaw and finally she had to stop and crouch. She silently turned toward a bush and crept forward. As soon as she caught the brown fur she jumped and nipped the mouse's neck.

Returning to her mentor, Hazelpaw's eyes glittered. Rosefern nodded with approval and the cats setted off again. Soon they caught sight of the thorn tunnel and walked through. Hazelpaw ran to the fresh-kill pile and dropped her mouse.

"Go and rest," meowed Rosefern meowed, and Hazelpaw nodded. She padded towards the apprentices' den, but as Rosefern turned, veered away and quickly squeezed through the cave to the back of it. Brambles pricked her and she was bruised by the stone; it hurt on either side of her. But the bruises didn't matter. The brambles didn't feel like anything.

It would be _much _worse to feel claws and teeth in her flesh at dawn.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Going

Hazelpaw's eyes blinked open to see a ray of sunlight pierce her vision. "Where are you, little pet?" the other apprentices were hissing; they sounded close. "Piece of crow-food? I don't believe you've done my ticks or sharpened my claws yet."

Hazelpaw was breathing hard as soon as she heard the voices. She couldn't stay here _any longer. _She was literally going mad! Hazelpaw fled through the brambles, ignoring the tearing and clawing.

She bounced away, and used a secret entrance she had found as a kit to peek into the medicine cat's den. Fortunately, as soon as she looked down, the medicine cat, Leafwhisker, padded out of the den. Hazelpaw sighed with relief and leaped down into the cave. She looked around.

Then she saw some herbs she recognised by scent and sight. She raced across and licked them up before bounding back through the hole and out into the forest. "I can't take this anymore!" She thought aloud. "I'm getting a break from Clan life. I'm going to Twolegplace, to see Jake, Titus and the crew!"

It was sunhigh by the time Hazelpaw reached the borders of Twoleg place. A high, white 'fence' reached above her. She gulped. She had never done something like this before. _Ever. _

_Should I be doing this? _Thought Hazelpaw for a heartbeat. Then she shook her head. _Nonsense! I'll go eccentric in that Clan! _With that, Hazelpaw took a deep breath and cleared the fence, soon standing in Twolegplace. Immediately everything felt different. The ground, the air …

Anyway, where did Skypath say Jake and her first met? Oh, yes, at that white place. Hazelpaw sped off at once. Then there was a loud roar and a gust. Hazelpaw turned to see a monster rumbling towards her.

She let out a yowl and raced as fast as possible to the other side of the path. The monster's round, black paw brushed the longest hairs on the tip of Hazelpaw's tail. She was bristling.

_That was … unexplainable terror … _Hazelpaw thought, horrified. When she calmed down, she had walked on further until coming to a kittypet's garden.

Now she lay in the grass, panting after running here in her terror. Soon she caught her breath, and began to think. "Let's see … maybe I can signal my brother and father … through … _singing!_" Hazelpaw suddenly had the greatest idea.

Jake, her father and Titus, her brother both _loved _to sing. It was in Hazelpaw's blood.

Hazelpaw began her song. "Vacation, all I ever wanted," Hazelpaw didn't actually know what she was doing. The words just slipped out. And, not being selfish, Hazelpaw _did _have a rather excellent singing voice.

"Vacation, had to get away. Vacation, meant to be spent alone … " She paused for a bit, happy. For some reason, her paws were working on their own as she sang.

"Can't seem to get my mind off of you." She continued. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Back here at home there's nothin' to-oo, d-oo. Yeah, yeah, yeah," Hazelpaw was singing – and everything else, too, actually – from her heart.

"Now that I'm away … I wish I could stay … " Hazelpaw realised she was walking in a rhythm to the beat of her song. "Tomorrow's a day of mine that you … won't … be … in … "

"When you looked at me, I should've run. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I thought it was just for fun," A smile spread across Hazelpaw's face. "Y-yeah, yeah, yeah. I see I was wrong. And that I'm not so strong." Hazelpaw's voice beat into a perfect rhythm. "I should've known all along that … time, would, te-ell."

"A week without you, thought I'd forget. Two weeks without you and I, still haven't got, _over you yet_!" Sung the little brown-and-white cat. Her voice got higher at the last three words.

"Vacation, all ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away! Vacation, meant to be spent alone … " Hazelpaw's chorus grew more powerful and from the heart as she felt her body strengthen at her spasm of confidence.

"Vacation, all I ever wanted! Vacation, had to get away! Vacation, meant to be spent _alone!_" She paused for a bit, still walking in the rhythm, and let all the words flood over her. "Ha ho ho … ha ho ho … ha ho ho oh oh oh oh." She continued to tame the beat with her hollers. "A week without you," she continued. "Thought I'd forget. Two weeks without you and I … Still haven't got, _over you yet!" _The last three words were almost yowls but still kept the same pretty flow of a song.

"Vacation, _all I ever wanted! _Vacation, _had to get away! _Vacation, _meant to be spent alone!" _Power, confidence and beauty appeared in the words of Hazelpaw's voice.

"Vacation, _all I ever wanted! _Vacation, _had to get away! _Vacation, _meant to be spent alone_!" Hazelpaw found herself running. She paused again, letting the words flood her again.

This was the life! "Whoa … Whoa … who-o-oh-oh-oh-oa! Ha lo lo … ha lo lo … ha lo lo oh oh oh oh." Her cries were soft, fresh and warm, but they had the beat pressed into them. "Ha lo lo … ha lo lo … ha lo lo oh oh oh oh. Ha lo lo … ha lo lo … ha lo lo oh-" Suddenly a voice joined hers. "Ha lo lo … ha lo lo … ha lo lo oh oh oh oh!"

Hazelpaw looked closer. A Twoleg nest … yowls … meows … white monsters … That was it! Hazelpaw had made it!

The brown-and-white apprentice ran to a hole in the walls of the Twoleg nest. She saw a grey tom with a white underbelly singing his heart out.

"Ha lo lo … ha lo lo … ha lo lo oh oh oh oh!" Hazelpaw gasped. _Titus! _

She was about to leap on to the ground of the Twoleg nest when she was blocked by a transparent wall. She yowled and clawed at the hard sheet in hopes of getting in, but it was no use. "Titus! Titus! It's me, Hazelkit!"

Suddenly there was a loud thud, but Hazelpaw didn't notice. Finally, Titus turned. He jumped to his feet when seeing his sister and opened his mouth in a silent yowl of joy.

But suddenly a weird, frog-skin feeling prickled Hazelpaw's body and her feet lifted off the ground. She looked up, terrified, at a huge male Twoleg carrying her inside the nest. She yowled and flailed, but didn't know what to do, for she was only six moons and three days.

In an instant she Hazelpaw was thrown practically into Titus. They looked up at each other as the door closed, eyes wide. _"THiatzueslkit!" _Their voices collided. "No, Hazel_paw_." meowed Hazelpaw.

"Wow! That's so … What does that _mean, _anyway?" Titus replied. Hazelpaw giggled. "I'm an apprentice. Which means I'm training to hunt and fight."

"Cool!" Titus meowed. "So, where are we, anyway?" asked Hazelpaw, looking around. "The pound. We have to become kittypets to get out."

"_What?" _Hazelpaw bristled. "This can't be happening!" Titus turned his head away. "Well, it is," he meowed. "Or … " Hazelpaw pressed closer on her brother. "We could get through the bars – but still, how are we supposed to get out from there?" Titus continued doubtfully.

Hazelpaw looked around. Then she something. Heavy, brown, sharp … Perfect! She turned to Titus. "I've got an idea."

Titus and Hazelpaw nodded to each other. Hazelpaw turned to the 'bars'. She gulped and jumped. She twisted her body a heartbeat away from smashing into the hard things.

She scraped the floor and lifted her had to see she had done it. She had gotten through the bars.

"Cool!"

"Awesome!"

"Good work!"

"Wow!"

Voices of the other cats surrounded Hazelpaw. She then turned to see Titus slip through the bars in the the same way and they padded over to the rock Hazelpaw had seen. She picked it up in her teeth and threw as hard as possible. The hard wall Titus called a 'window' shattered into pieces and, a Hazelpaw remembered and knew would happen, a long branch slowly swung to the opening. With a creak and a thud, the branch was ready.

The two cats jumped up onto the old branch and crawled down it. Titus shook his fur out when at the bottom and he told Hazelpaw about the crew and where they lived as the two cats set off.

"Really? That far?" asked Hazelpaw, astonished.

Titus grinned. "No, actually. Just around the second corner." Hazelpaw rolled her eyes and snorted in a playful, teasing way. "Well … Anyway … So the crew likes to sing?" Hazelpaw asked. Titus shrugged. "It's in our blood. Now careful; we cross a Thunderpath soon."

Hazelpaw nodded and, sure enough, as they turned the corner, right ahead of them was a racing Thunderpath. Hazelpaw caught a glimpse of a dark turn on the other side in a long alley.

"You first," meowed Titus. Hazelpaw looked from side to side. "But … There's not one gap in between those monsters." She protested. Titus rolled his eyes. "Geez. Forest cats really _don't _know anything," he muttered.

Titus gathered his grey haunches and leaped. Hazelpaw gasped. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing?" she yowled. "You'll get killed!"

But Titus amazingly found his paws on monster's hot back. He jumped from monster to monster and finally dropped at the other side of the path.

Hazelpaw's jaws were dropping open. Finally she found herself and closed them. She crouched, and jumped onto a monster. As quickly as possible she hopped across the path and then dropped down onto the stone path at the other side, panting.

When Hazelpaw had caught her breath, Titus led her away through the damp alley. Scurrying creatures were everywhere and Hazelpaw shivered.

Soon Titus turned and she followed him into a slightly lighter place. But as they walked on, a large stone wall blocked their way. "You said the crew lived here!" hissed Hazelpaw. Titus nodded. "I know."

Suddenly he jumped up, using cracks to haul himself onto the top. Then he gestured for Hazelpaw to come and she jumped up onto the red-and-light brown wall.

She clawed her way a mouse-length from the top when she slipped. She was falling, falling, falling …

Suddenly teeth met in Hazelpaw's scruff and she was hauled on to the top of the tall wall. Then, gasping, Hazelpaw jumped after Titus onto a heap of moss.

They padded on and the short alley turned into a wide clearing surrounded by Twoleg rubbish and black bags. A puddle lay near the middle and two cats – one a beautiful light brown she-cat with swirling stripes, the other a gorgeous light grey she-cat – were drinking from it, the remains of a pigeon sitting next to them. They lifted their heads as they heard Titus approach. Their muzzles dripped with water.

"Hi, Shay, Kiara." Titus meowed. "I see you've been hunting. So how's Sparrow?"

"Feather says she might not make it," the grey she-cat replied, her amber eyes dull with sadness. "Well, I hope the 'might' part will come in." meowed Titus, and he padded up to drink too.

"Come on, Hazelpaw," Titus meowed after a bit. Hazelpaw nodded, hiding her fear and went to drink too.

"This is Hazelpaw," Titus mewed to the other cats. He turned. "Hazelpaw, that grey cat is Shay and the other is Kiara." Suddenly there were the sounds of pawsteps and a voice hissed, "Titus, who's this? Don't tell me you've accepted another cat into the gang without my permission?"

Everyone turned. Titus, Shay an Kiara all looked scared and a little embarrassed.

Hazelpaw stopped her gasp just in time – the cat standing before her was Jake.

Her father.

Wearing a collar.

The leader of the gang.

"Uh … No, father … She's … my sister." Titus stammered. Jake's eyes widened. "Hazelkit? You're so much bigger now!" Hazelpaw ducked her head. "It's Hazelpaw." she announced.

Jake purred. Then he saw her expression at seeing his collar. "No, this … It isn't what it looks like. This stupid Twoleg put it on when I couldn't escape from its nest. I _was _actually going to ask - " Immediately all the cats were around him. "Could I?"

"No, me!"

"I want to!"

Jake nodded to Shay. "Off you go." The two cats got into a position of being one tail-length apart. Then Shay leaped and held onto Jake's shoulder with her claws. With her teeth, she pulled on the blue collar around Jake's neck, but he slashed her tail and she fell. She slashed out with her foreleg and pulled on the collar, and Jake pulled the other way.

Then, as Jake slashed Shay's hind legs, the collar ripped and fell near the puddle of water.

Titus ran and grabbed the blue collar, running to one of the walls. Names were stuck there, carved out of leaves, and twigs poked out of cracks above the leaves.

On one the twigs above the name "Shay" Titus hung the collar up. Now Hazelpaw saw above almost every name there was a broken, mangled, or ripped collar. Red, yellow, black, white, blue, and patterned – the patterned, blue and white collars were the collars mostly hung up.

Then Hazelpaw looked closer at the one name without a collar. She gasped when she saw it. The name was Skypath. "T-titus?" she stammered. Titus came bounding over.

"Why do you have Skypath up there?" asked Hazelpaw. Her brother sighed.

"Jake told me this a long time ago … Anyway, Jake had secretly followed our mother home. He waited, out of sight. Then, the night of the day Skypath had her kits, he sneaked into the nursery and named the kits with her. He called me Titus, and you Hazelkit. He took me away for the gang, and left you for Skypath. Halfway to the crew's camp, he nipped off a leaf and drew Skypath's name in it for remembrance.

"When he got home, he put Skypath's name on the wall." Titus finished his story with a sigh. Hazelpaw nodded. She looked back up at the wall and stared at her mother's name for a long, long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Like Home

Hazelpaw awoke from her mossy nest, completed with brittle grass stems.

Light burst over the walls and the camp looked beautiful. Two cats were rummaging through what they called 'garbage cans'. "Snowy, found anything yet?" asked the golden tom, popping his head up and out of the Twoleg rot.

"I found chicken." answered Snowy, small white tom. "Awesome! Want to share, Kozo?" That was a delicate, pretty light brownish-ginger she-cat with one paw – Scarlet, Shay and Kiara's sister. Hazelpaw had met her at nightfall.

"Sure." answered a sandy brown tabby tom. "Shouldn't One and Scar be back by now?"

"I caught a pigeon!"

"You hungry?"

Voices surrounded Hazelpaw. She realised was like camp, back in the forest – like how the clearing was always buzzing with patrols, orders and chats.

Hazelpaw padded over to the black-and-white tom who had called about his catch.

"I'll share with you." meowed Hazelpaw. He nodded and the two lay down, beginning to eat. "I'm Bite," the black tom meowed. "What's your name?"

"It's Hazelpaw," the brown-and-white she-cat replied. As Hazelpaw looked again at Bite, he was handsome and well-muscled to her. She knew he was kind and willing to share, and a strange, tingling feeling prickled her heart. She didn't know what this feeling was, but the more she looked at Bite, the more the feeling felt.

After finishing the pigeon, Hazelpaw padded over to the puddle and lapped up the water. Suddenly a furry thing was cuffed around her ear.

She looked up and saw Scarlet cuffing it. Hazelpaw playfully waggled her haunches and leaped, but Scarlet sidestepped and she fell.

Whipping around, Hazelpaw saw Scarlet flying towards her. She ducked and Scarlet hit the ground. Then Hazelpaw turned quickly and as soon as Scarlet scrambled to her feet, she pounced low. Scarlet jumped up but Hazelpaw struck out with her hind legs and she pounced higher, gripping Scarlet with her legs.

Suddenly teeth met in her tail and she yowled. Scarlet slashed Hazelpaw's shoulder and the brown-and-white she-cat realised this was a full-on, claws-uunsheathed play. So she struck out with her hind legs, her claws ripping soft underbelly.

"That's enough." The she-cats turned to see Jake stalking towards them. "Sorry, Jake!" Scarlet slipped off Hazelpaw as a white tom and a grey, battle-scarred she-cat leaped onto the soft moss, arguing.

"See? We should have done the forest!"

"I didn't know the Monsterplace was a long cut!" hissed the white tom. When Hazelpaw looked close, she saw the white cat had one green eye and one yellow.

"One! Scar! Stop fighting. Titus, we need a dawn patrol and five cats to go looking for something to eat." Jake called. He was sitting on the garbage heap, looking over the camp.

Titus bounded towards the puddle. "Kozo and Shay, you take the dawn patrol. Kamara, Hazelpaw, Lion, Ivy and I will go and look for some food."

The cats nodded. Scar and One began to groom themselves in the shade of the wall.

Hazelpaw padded over to Titus. Once a light grey-and-black tom had come over, the hunting patrol set off.

Once over the wall, All the cats straightened their tails. Hazelpaw did too. Suddenly the golden tom who was talking to Snowy early bit into Titus' tail. The light grey-and-black tom did the same. The light brown she-cat bit into Hazelpaw's tail and she stifled a yowl. She bit into the cat in front of her's tail.

The cats padded along like this until finally, a line of garbage bins was seen and she cats split. They each stood in front of one of the shining, silver boulders.

Hazelpaw chose one, too – a small one with less smell. "Strike!" called Titus and, copying them, Hazelpaw turned and struck out with her back legs, kicking the lid off of the garbage can.

"Dive!" yowled Titus, and the cats leaped into the garbage cans. Shivering, Hazelpaw copied.

Things squashed up against her, and Hazelpaw saw some purple berries. She grabbed them and wriggled to the top of the garbage. She dropped her berries and bounded out of the silver can.

"Good job, Hazelpaw!" That was Titus. Suddenly the golden tom's garbage can wriggled and squirmed around, and crashes and thuds were heard. Then he jumped out onto the stone path and dropped a plump rat.

"Nice, Lion!" Meowed the light brown she-cat as the light grey-and-black hopped out of his, setting down a dirty, large piece of meat.

"Great work, Ivy!" yowled Titus. "Now let's go!" Everyone picked up their things and padded back to the crew's camp. Hazelpaw dropped her purple berries and sniffed at them. She looked up and immediately saw everyone fighting over Ivy's dirty meat.

"I saw it first!" Hissed Ivy, shielding his prey with his body. "Which means you'll find more!" Hissed Snowy, snatching Ivy's black ear and ripping the flesh.

He yowled and backed away a few paces. Lion leaped and grabbed the meat. He veered out of the group only to be blocked by Scarlet and a tortoiseshell she-cat Hazelpaw didn't know.

Lion growled and turned. Jake clawed his leg, leaping into the scent and Lion fell.

The meat fell from his jaws and Bite grabbed it and ran – towards Hazelpaw.

He collided into the brown-and-white she-cat. The meat flew to the top of the wall. Titus and Kiara scrambled towards the food, but a blue-grey tom climbed up the wall gracefully and took the meat. He hauled himself onto the top of the wall and lay hos food down, hissing at Bite, Hazelpaw and Kiara, who had gotten closer.

Eventually the cats broke apart, leaving the blue-grey tom to rip apart his prey.

Bite snorted. "Climb and his bragging," he hissed. He turned to Hazelpaw with wide eyes. "Unlike you."

Hazelpaw was choked for words, but luckily, one heartbeat after Bite's mew, bounded off to drink. Hazelpaw padded over to the purple berries she had picked and licked one up.

Scarlet an Jake followed and ate some too. Hazelpaw looked up to see Titus organising something. Hazelpaw got up and scrambled over.

"Shell, Lion, Wave, Crash and Oscar," Titus was yowling. "You'll take care of the night raids. Lion, show them were we were. Forest, Scarlet, Shay and Leaf, clean the collars."

A reddish-brown tom, a tortoiseshell tom, Scarlet and Shay nodded and padded over to the wall and jumped over – to look for moss, Hazelpaw guessed.

Hazelpaw ducked down to drink and then padded over to Kiara. "Hi, Kiara," she mewed. The she-cat was pacing. "Stupid Climb! Thinks he's the best! _As if! _I could just kill someone right now!" Hazelpaw bounded away before Kiara found her subject.

She padded over to Jake. "Hi." Jake turned. "Hi." he licked behind her ear, and went into a dark tunnel in the garbage.

Hazelpaw sighed. She went over to Snowy. "Hi, Snowy." Snowy looked at me, playfulness in his eyes. He waggled his haunches and struck out, ripping fur off Hazelpaw's shoulder. Hazelpaw jumped back. She looked around. _What moves do I know? _She thought, frightened. _Uh … Uh … Birchpaw's move! _Hazelpaw, planting her paws tightly on the stone ground, pounced and pushed over Snowy with her paws and head.

Shocked, Snowy scrambled to his paws. Hazelpaw's tail whipped his side.

Then Hazelpaw crouched playfully, her blue eyes glittering. Snowy's eyes narrowed and he pounced. Hazelpaw was knocked onto the ground.

She knew struggling wouldn't work, so she made a choking sound her eyes slowly closed and her tail waved around. Then her sounds stopped and her eyes closed.

Snowy gasped and jumped off. At that moment Hazelpaw leaped at her friend and knocked him to the ground. He struggled and flailed, but that only made Hazelpaw grip harder.

"Okay, okay! I give up!" Snowy rasped and Hazelpaw jumped off. She crouched one more time but Snowy just turned and lapped up some water.

Hazelpaw lifted so her legs were straight and saw the cats Leaf, Forest, Shay and Scarlet pulling a collar down one by one and washing it in some wet moss.

When they finished, they put the ripped collars back where they were; the bells that some had shined and the rest glittered or were simply filled with colour.

_It was midnight. Hazelpaw got up. Her eyes were closed. _But that's me! _Thought a watching brown-and-white she-cat with blue eyes. Hazelpaw padded on and she finally came to a three-path part of the street. Her eyes still closed, she lay down and curled up. _

"Hazelpaw! Wake up!"

"Hazelpaw!"

"Someone help her!"

"Hazelpaw? _Hazelpaw?_"

Hazelpaw's eyes blinked open. Cats were crowding around her. Bite's face was practically in hers. "Wh-what happened?" asked Hazelpaw. It was sunset. _No way! But it was just dawn! _"You just fell and your eyes glazed with fear," meowed Bite. "You've been like that for hours."

_But … it was only five seconds! _"Oh." Hazelpaw mewed. Bite nudged forward a sandy-coloured, featherless bird's wing. Hazelpaw smiled. "Thanks." she lowered down to lick up the meat and the cats began to break up.

The sun's rays were the only races left when Hazelpaw curled up in the nest next to everyone. Bite had moved his nest so he huddled up to Hazelpaw and Lion, who slept next to Hazelpaw's nest. Shay had her nest in the corner, next to Hazelpaw.

Hazelpaw yawned and lay her head down. She curled into a tight ball and began to sleep.

Hazelpaw woke to piercing grey light and the roaring of close monsters. She jumped to her paws, seeing that she had been asleep in the middle of three paths.

Her breath came in jagged gasps and she called out for help. Nothing. "Help!" she yowled again. Still no answer.

Hazelpaw's ears drooped and she sighed. She would have to work out how to leave on her own – or go back to the forest. She decided to keep herself entertained while she could. The brown-and-white apprentice took a deep breath, and let it out with words. "Help! I need somebody.

"Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need someone. He-e-el, hel-elp." Although Hazelpaw was singing, she didn't _feel _happy.

"When I was younger, so much younger then today, I never needed anybody's help in any way." Confidence rang through the apprentice's voice – and deep sadness.

"But now these days are gone I'm not so self assured. Now I find that I've changed my mind, I've _opened up the doors!_" Hazelpw found herself enjoying this. Besides; she began singing in the first place to lighten up her spirit.

"Help me if you can, I'm feeling dow-own. And I do appreciate you being 'roun-ound. Won't you help me get my feet back on the grou-ound." The words were pulsing through Hazelpaw's body. "Won't you please, please, help me?"

No voices came. "And now my life has changed in oh, so many ways. My independence seems to vanish in the haze." Hazelpaw sighed.

"But every now and then I feel so insecure. I know that I just need you like I've _never done before! _Help me if you can, I'm feeling dow-own. And I do appreciate you being 'rou-ound. Won't you help me get my feet back on the grou-ound."

"Won't you please, please, _help me?_ Help me." Hazelpaw's sweet voice faded.

"When I was younger, so much younger then today … I never needed anybody's help in any way." Hazelpaw's mew now sounded small – so small. "But now these days are gone I'm not so self assured. Now I find that I've changed my mind, I've _opened up the doors!_"

"Help me if you can, I'm feeling dow-own. And I do appreciate you being 'rou-ound. Won't you help me get my feet back on the grou-ound." Hazelpaw was once again enjoying the song now. She bounced along to the beat.

"Won't you _please, please, help me?_ Help me … Help _me … _" Suddenly Hazelpaw' shoulder was snagged by a bramble tendril and she pulled. She finally tugged free and rolled onto the Thunderpath.

The brown-and-white she-cat jumped up and ran to the other side of the Thunderpath just before she saw a monster in the distance. She looked up to see a Twoleg dumping some food into a garbage can.

Hazelpaw scrambled up into the silver can and scampered about in the rubbish. When she emerged there was a chicken and a half-eaten yellow thing.

Hazelpaw began to eat.

Just then she heard something, very faint. "Hazelpaw!"

"I'm sure I heard her singing."

It was Titus! And Bite! Hazelpaw licked u a few more bites and ran around the corner. Soon she jumped onto Bite and covered him in licks. She did the same with Titus, Kiara, Shay and Scarlet, who had come too.

"How did you find me?" asked Hazelpaw. "We saw your fur on some brambles. And before that we were following this singing." Scarlet answered.

Hazelpaw smiled. Without anything else, the cats returned to camp. They ate and drunk something before going out on patrols together.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Please Stop

Two moons had passed and Hazelpaw now knew every cat by name.

Hazelpaw climbed over the wall and dropped a pigeon and scraps of steak. She licked up some of the steak and padded away. She curled up in her nest. Bite's tongue smoothed her ear fur as long as it took for Hazelpaw to fall asleep.

Two moons had passed and Hazelpaw now knew every cat by name.

Hazelpaw drifted into dreams.

_Hazelpaw was frightened. She curled up in a tight ball. Shadows and cackles rose from around her. The stone floor felt more cold and uncomfortable then ever. The shadows shifted. Suddenly one leaped to reveal a fox. Dogs stepped out and Twolegs with long whips ran out. _

_Badgers crawled out of large spaces and the fox was only a mouse-length away now. Hazelpaw couldn't even call or yell. Suddenly there was a flash of black-and-white and the fox was gone. _

_Bite was wrestling with it on the ground, growling and snarling. When the fox ran away, whimpering, he terrified the Twolegs, wrestled with badgers, fought with foxes, and destroyed the dogs. Then he padded back to Hazelpaw and curled around her protectively. A voice echoed through the air. _

_'There is a cat who would fight to the death for you, Hazelpaw. You might not know, but …' _

_The voice become murky and not clear. Hazelpaw strained to listen but by the time she had enough strength to hear the words clearly, they had faded. _

Hazelpaw blinked open her eyes to grey light. She was about to get up when she realised something heavy was on her. She looked back to see Bite smiling and cuddling up to her. She sighed and gently shook him off. Then he woke up and they both went over to Titus, organising border patrols.

"Hazelpaw and Oscar, you take the forest border. Lion and Wave, you do the Monsterplace. Shell and Sammy, you can go up to the hideout." The cats nodded, turned, split into their groups and padded away. Hazelpaw climbed up to the top of the wall and helped Oscar, a ginger-and-white tom.

They jumped down the other side and padded on. They walked along the streets and followed a scent line made by another group of cats. Then they veered off and jumped across a few fences. Now the forest came in sight and they padded along the border. When the two had finished, Oscar caught a pidgeon and they padded back to camp.

Hurrying across the other cat's scent markers, the two cats soon reached the wall. They scrambled up it and jumped down the other side.

Hazelpaw went to lap up some water as Snowy, Shay, Titus and Forest returned with some things from the garbage cans.

"Hazelpaw! Hi!" Bite was bounding up to Hazelpaw. "Hi, Bite!" She meowed and when he got close, jumped onto his back. Bite looked shocked until he saw the gleam of play in Hazelpaw's eyes. He narrowed his eyes and tried to catch Hazelpaw's muzzle, but he was trapped under the brown-and-white apprentice.

Hazelpaw jumped off and smiled. Bite padded closer and began to groom Hazelpaw's shoulder.

Hazelpaw felt dreamy at the touch of his tongue she lay down and began to groom his chest. The two cats shared tongues for what seemed like hours.

Finally the two cats stopped. Bite gave Hazelpaw this look tat made her feel like the whole of her Clan loved her in a gentle, kind way. It made her feel as if she was in a dream. She smiled back and turned, and at that moment she realised: She _wanted _this to be a dream. She couldn't love a rogue cat! He could become a kittypet just get back here, anyway!

But Hazelpaw couldn't – couldn't, her mouth just wouldn't let her – tell Bite this. She loved him too. All it was was just because Bite was a rogue. Maybe even, one day, a kittypet.

Hazelpaw let her paws carry her wherever they wanted. When she snapped out of her own mind she found herself at the line of Twoleg nests – She knew the way back to the gang, but she would stay for a little while first.

Hazelpaw decided she would sing to get rid of her feelings about Bite and her. She took a deep breath, and let the words drift out. "Lalala, lalala, lalalalala oh." Hazelpaw started. She paused briefly. "Oh … oh … Lalala, lalala, lalalalala oh."

"Oh … oh … I'm obsessive, when just one thought of you comes up. And I'm aggressive, when just one thought of closing up." Hazelpaw didn't know why, but her beat was firm and sort of … angry.

"You got me stressing … Incessantly pressing … the issue, cause every moment gone you know I miss you!" Hazelpaw sung, walking around in circles,in time with the rhythm.

"I'm the question, and you're of course the answer. Hold me close tom, cause I'm your tiny dancer." Hazelpaw thought of Bite while she sung, her mind on him as her uncontrolled words spilled out in her beat.

"You make me shaken, up, never mistaken. But I can't control myself, got me calling out for help!" Hazelpaw somehow made the following words lap over the ones before.

"S.O.S please, someone help me, it's not healthy … for me to feel this, Y.O.U are" - Hazelpaw change her "way" into "Y" - "making this hard. You got me tossin' and turnin', can't sleep at night."

"This time please, someone come and rescue _me." _Hazelpaw's paws still took her walking around in circles. Her narrowed eyes faced the ground, thinking of Bite.

"Cause you on my mind, it's got me losing it." Hazelpaw, thinking of Bite, couldn't understand now why she said she couldn't be with him.

"I'm lost, you got me looking for the rest of me." Those muscular, black-and-white shoulders …

"Our love is testin' me, but still I'm losin' it." Those pretty green, love-filled eyes. "Just your presence and I second guess my sanity." That long, glossy tail. "Yes it's a lesson, it's unfair you stole my vanity."

"My tummy's up in knots" Those soft paws. "so when I see you I get so hot." Those lovely, well-developed ears. "Common sense is out the door … Can't, seem to _find the lock!" _That hugre,caring heart. "Take me, you know inside you feel it right." That beautiful way of nuzzling her with his soft muzzle. "Take me on, I'm put desire up in your arms tonight!"

"I'm out with you, you got me head, over, heels." _Why can't we be together? _Thought Hazelpaw. "Tom you keep me hanging on the way you make, me, _feel!" _

Hazelpaw shook her head. _No! I can't! I know I can't! It's too much! _"S.O.S please someone, help me. It's not healthy … for me to feel this, Y.O.U are making this hard … You got me tossin' and turnin', can't sleep at night!" Hazelpaw used the same trick she had used before; tipping her 'way' into a 'Y'.

"This time please someone come and _rescue, me!" _Hazelpaw's mind was swirling.

"Cause you on my mind, it's got me losing it."

"I'm lost, you got me looking for the rest of me … Our love is _testin' me, _but still I'm losing it." Hazelpaw's voice was thin with an angry sound pulsing through her words.

"Tom, you you know you got me feeling open. And tom, you're love's enough with words unspoken. I said _tom, I'm telling you you got me open! _I don't know what to do, it's true, I'm going crazy over you, I'm begging!

"_S.O.S please_ someone, help me. It's not healthy … _for me to feel this, Y._O.U are making this hard … You got me tossin' and turnin', _can't sleep at night!_" Confidence and an anger she couldn't explain still pushed through the song.

"Lalala, lalala, lalalala oh. Lalala, lalala, lalalala oh. Lalala, lalala, lalalala oh … "

Eventually Hazelpaw's voice faded. She looked up. It was a little way past sunhigh. She bounded away and scrambled up the wall. She leaped down and tried to think what to do.

Suddenly claws met in her hindquarters and Hazelpaw yowled. She whipped around but couldn't see anything. Then teeth were in her back and she reared into her hind legs, as far as she could.

Then she fell onto her back, squishing the cat fighting with her. She felt teeth in the back of her and yowled, rolling off. A sandy-brown tabby tom jumped onto Hazelpaw's belly.

He gripped into her flesh with his claws and Hazelpaw yowled. Suddenly Kozo was flung off by Bite, snapping into the tabby's shoulder and hauling him away.

Hazelpaw scrambled onto her belly and crouched. Her tail waved and finally she pounced onto Bite's muscular back.

Bite looked shocked as he saw his attacker but then copied the playful gleam in Hazelpaw's eyes.

He reared up high and Hazelpaw dropped onto the ground. Kozo jumped onto her belly and reached out to rip Hazelpaw's ear. He caught the soft flesh and tore his foreleg back, leaving Bite to jump on his side and wrestle on the ground. As Hazelpaw pummelled Kozo's side with her hind paws, there was a harsh voice the cracked the air.

"_Stop!" _

The cats pulled in their claws and turned to see a pretty, thin silver tabby she-cat growling from a tunnel in the garbage. "I don't want more cats to fix up! Icicle and I have enough on our paws." Hissed Feather.

The three cats ducked their heads and mumbled apologies. "Besides, Sparrow needs a _quiet. Rest. _Can you do that?"

Kozo, Bite and Hazelpaw nodded. Feather sighed and padded over. She put cobwebs on the cats' wounds and told them to go to her tomorrow when dawn's light broke through the walls. The three cats nodded and Feather stalked away into her little room. The medicine cat's den here was in a hole in the side wall that led into a small room.

It was almost evening and Titus was arranging patrols. "Forest, Bite, take the Monsterplace. Kiara, Lion, take the Great Moor. Snowy, Shay, Scar, One, Scarlet, look for food. So will Wave, Kamara, Ivy, Oscar and I." With that, the patrols set off. Sparrow, Hazelpaw, Feather, Icicle, Jake, Climb, Leaf, Shell, Crash and Sammy were the cats left in camp. Feather and Icicle were busy, though. And Sparrow was sick. And Jake wouldn't talk, not even to his daughter.

And Climb was just plain annoying. Hazelpaw sighed. She padded over to her mossy nest and lay down in a tight ball, closing her eyes.

_Hazelpaw blinked open her eyes. Dawn light broke onto her brown-and-white pelt. She padded towards a pile of prey. Her scratches were gone. Her torn ear was full. She picked up a juicy pigeon when Bite pushed her away. "Bite? What is it?" asked Hazelpaw. "I love you, Hazelpaw," meowed Bite. "I really do." _

Yowls echoed around the walls. A long, pain-filled yowl into the early air. Hazelpaw squirmed and tossed in her nest, yowling and yowling.

The crew lay tucked into the corners of the wall, covering their ears and groaning.

Then Hazelpaw's eyes flickered open. Everything was quiet again. Hazelpaw sat up quickly and smoothed down her ruffled, bristled fur. _It was just a dream, _Hazelpaw thought. _Nothing happened. _

_Don't hurt my feelings! _A violent voice yowled in her head. She bristled. _Don't let me down! _

The voice sounded like thunder roaring in her head. Hazelpaw faintly hissed. Then she shook herself and padded over to where Feather and Icicle lay, their paws pressed against their ears that had been flattened back.

"I'm here, Feather." Feather opened her eyes and glanced around. She let her paws fall and sat up. "Icicle, get some marigold." she ordered, and the white cat nodded. He turned and shuffled through some herbs.

Finally he brought the marigold and Feather began to chew them. She soon spat them out and rubbed them into Hazelpaw's wounds. While she did this, she talked.

"Is anything wrong, Hazelpaw?" she asked, and told her about what she did in her sleep.

Hazelpaw gulped. "Well … You know Bite? I think he likes me. But our love's too much to handle! I won't be his mate. I _can't _be his mate!" She whined. Feather nodded, her eyes still fixed on her work. "I had a dream that he told me he really loves me. And then I woke up. It was terrible. I felt like every hair on my pelt was on fire."

Feather patted some of the marigold onto Hazelpaw's scratch before stopping to look down at her. "Hazelpaw, you just had to tell him you couldn't do this anymore."

"But it was a _dream! _I mean, I couldn't help waking up!" Hazelpaw mewed. Feather sighed. "You just need to tell him I the real world, then." she meowed gently. Hazelpaw opened her mouth to protest, but then thought better.

"You're right, Feather," she meowed. "I need to tell him." So Hazelpaw ducked out of the den and saw Bite. She ran towards him, but he saw Hazelpaw and meowed first, "Hazelpaw! Can you meet me at the edge of the Great Moors at sunset?" Hazelpaw looked shocked.

"Bite, I-"

"Thanks!" Bite swiped his tongue over his lips to drink the drops of water collecting around his muzzle, got up, and bounded away. Hazelpaw sighed.

It was sunset. Time to meet Bite. Hazelpaw was running towards the Great Moors. She was scared. For what Bite would say. For what she would answer. Would she be to nervous to answer? Would she be choked for words?

Hazelpaw didn't know the answer to any of these questions. Which made her more nervous. More uncertain.

Finally Hazelpaw made it. Bite was waiting for her. Right on the border. A strong breeze flowing through his fur. Hazelpaw gulped and padded forward.

Bite ran to Hazelpaw and jumped on her. The two cats rolled down and down a hill, ripping up flowers and grass. They landed at the bottom laughing. "So, anyway," Hazelpaw mewed after a long time. "That surely can't be the reason why you brought me here." Bite sighed.

He lifted his head sat up. "Hazelpaw … I … " Hazelpaw gulped. "Hazelpaw, I love you."

Hazelpaw's jaws fell open. She knew Bite loved her. But he had said it. Finally. Unfortunately. Luckily. Whatever. Hazelpaw didn't know what to do.

She felt as if she was dark and light at the same time. Hot and cold. Smart and dumb. Weak and strong. Up and down. Flying and swimming. Climbing and digging. She didn't know if this was good or bad.

Suddenly Hazelpaw instincts kicked down the door. "I can't do it! It's too much! I can't handle this! _Help!" _Hazelpaw yowled and yowled, turning and running from her soulmate – or her worst nightmare. The pressure just made her gasp for air.


End file.
